To be annoyed by shopping as a family outing?

[Sweetbabycheezits]

I normally do the food shop on Saturday or Sunday morning. It's not rammed, but it's fairly busy, and one of the things that makes it so busy is entire families grocery shopping together. Yesterday, it was mum, dad and 3 kids maybe 5/6 and under...why?? The kids were bored and whingy, in the way, touching everything on the shelves. Surely one parent can stay home with kids, and one can do the shopping? I totally understand lone parents who work in the week having to take the kids along, but can't for the life of me understand why on earth the whole family needs to go? I'm probably just grumpy lol, so it could be that IABU...

Because well they got to learn how to shop one day. They do get told to keep to one side, stick with the trolly. If they behave they get to pick a treat for the trolly.

I personally find the worst shoppers tend to be shock horror on their own barging by even staff stacking the shelf’s as their lives must go at 100mph. Never a smile towards the checkout staff always wonder why they don’t just get delivery. Even groups of slightly loud teenage boys shopping for crap seem friendlier in comparison.

This thread is just as pointless as parents taking their children shopping. Why do you care enough to start a thread.

Oneformeto I completely agree, lonew shoppers often just barge past expecting everyone to jump out the way like they are far more important than everyone else . One example when my kids where younger, one in the pram the other on reins with a basket hooked over the pram handle . Lone shopper kept stepping in front of us then quickly changing direction expecting us to just move out the way everytime grumbling to herself, when she fell into my child on reins she felt my fury in no uncertain terms.

Doggybiccys l work on a supermarket checkout. lf l have a queue, every person in the line knows that they're expected to pay.
The ones that drive me mad are the ones who've stood behind others in the queue, who they've seen proffer their loyalty card if they have one (sometimes prompted, sometimes not), then offer either cash or a card payment, but who, when l've finished scanning their shopping and l ask if they have a loyalty card look utterly surprised and go "Oh! l've got one somewhere....." as if it's a huge surprise. Then start patting pockets and rummaging through bottomless bags in search of an elusive purse or wallet.
They'll then decide whether they've got a loyalty card or not, then which card they want to pay with, or whether they have enough cash. Usually painstakingly slow, and with utter disregard for the customers behind them.
lt makes no difference to me. l'm getting paid to sit there. But after all that, l have to apologise to the people behind them in the queue for keeping them waiting. lt's not me keeping them waiting. lt's the people who don't/can't organise themselves when they're waiting to be served, and as a result, keep everyone behind them waiting.
lt genuinely makes me wonder how some people actually manage to get out of the door in the mornings.
gets off soapbox

I usually go alone, but it’s nice to being dh (and kids) sometimes as everyone in my house eats whatever I choose to buy, and I like them to be able to express their opinion occasionally or choose something new that they might like. He always used to come with as I didn’t drive.

I wouldn’t want send him alone to do the full shop as he doesn’t know what’s a bargain and what isn’t, good value etc. Also I like doing it.

*bring

I agree. I much prefer to leave the kids at home and either me or DH stays with them. I have to say I don't see that many entire families when I go shopping though!

I agree with you. The tribal outing, a flange of parents children etc, Al joined nose to tail like a triple of elephants. But what better playground? Hide and seek in the toilet paper aisle, children agog in the toy aisle, older son sniffing the lingerie, and what better place to tell at, scold and berate the rest. Then again, you don't get entertainment like that on the TV.

Frothy in my entire time as a parent and seeing other family's shop I've never once seen the scenario you describe. That's 25 years by the way.

I avoid shopping on a Saturday at all costs. Luckily I work part time so can go to Aldi during the week or online shop. I would never drag the DC to the supermarket for their input, I’d end up with a trolley full of biscuits!

I remember seeing a family I vaguely know doing their big shop on a Saturday with three very small children. Mum was walking with a toddler while Dad was pulling a trolley and pushing a double buggy. They all looked miserable, I couldn’t work out why they were putting themselves through it.

Surely shopping without your children is a treat. I love it, it’s so calm.

Because to be a functioning member of society they need to leave the house and learn how to do the mundane. Such as, you know, feed themselves.

I can't get worked up about this at all. Who cares?! There are many reasons why the whole family go shopping, and quite frankly its nobody else's business. YABU.

Yes, you're being unreasonable. I think it is better for children to be involved in everyday family life with their parents rather than being stuck in front of a screen, which is so often the alternative. The family has every right to go out together and discuss what they want to buy. Perhaps the parents have very little time together during the week and just decide to do those boring tasks as a family. There could be a number of reasons. I have more of an issue with people deciding to have a long chat while blocking the aisles with trolleys than a family out shopping!

Do it online and get it delivered. Saves time and stress. Get it ordered a few days before and arrange to be delivered Friday night or Sat am. Then you have whole day with family.

We go as a family - always have done. I consider it part of family life, kids get to pick out the fruit and veg that they want, we get to talk about prices of stuff and what looks best/ freshest. They understand more about where food comes from as they read about the original location of the food, we talk about more processed food/ ready meals and how we make our meals. We then, if they have been good, might stop for a coffee before going home. Saying that 6/9 we get our main shop delivered but sometimes it's good to shake things up a little. We might even go to two or three supermarkets to get everything we want :D

I shop online. Why don't you do the same and further reduce the crowds

Wow. Jesus. There are lots of reasons why a whole family might need to go shopping at a weekend, I’m not even going to start listing them. Just narked and disappointed at yet another example of the continuous and burgeoning entitlement/selfishness culture that we seem to (sadly) exist in!

They probably have something else to do on the way there / way home e.g. swimming lessons and so it makes sense for them all to go? You are being a bit bah humbug. If anything you should be feeling sorry for the parents..

Who gives a fuck, and if you do then shop online. You don’t get to dictate who can and can’t shop.

I agree, my DH keeps saying why don’t we all go do the shopping together. No, we alternate when the pre-schoolers are in bed

As a single parent, I can’t guarantee that I’m going to be home at reasonable times due to my job being shifts. I tend to go shopping when DD1 is at school and it’s me and DD2 (youngest, she’s 9mo) so it’s less busy and I can whizz round. I hate shopping with the kids full stop, let alone at peak times.

Because we want to? Because it's a free country? Because it suits us? Because not all parents let their children run riot? Because maybe weve been to the park/swimming/cinema and are doing the groceries on the way home?

If you dont like who is in the shop at the same time as you, shop online and get it delivered! Why cant one parent stay home? How about why cant you stay home?

Shops are public places, everybody is allowed to use them. If they can afford to.

I hate shopping too. I order online and just pop in for things that I forgot or were missing. I don't take the kids unless I have to, they hate shopping. Weekends are short enough without doing things you hate.

On one hand I hate taking my kids shopping because it’s a pain in the arse. BUT my youngest LOVES food shopping. Loves choosing fruit and veg, loves seeing the toys, loves the beeping checkout so I do take him sometimes and I don’t feel bad for anyone! He’s my responsibility and it’s me he’s driving crazy, if the noise is a problem I recommend ear plugs, if it’s “people” then online might be the way for you.